Hi, everyone! I wanted to drop in and give a quick update after our appointment last week at 32w and this week at 33w.

Last week:

Last week’s appointment (5/17) went well for the most part. We had a growth scan and Chandler measured at 3lbs6oz and is now in the 7th percentile. She passed her biophysical profile with a score of 8/8, however she didn’t want to wake up and show movement which was a bit scary for us. The ultrasound tech jabbed at my belly for several minutes and she finally cooperated and started to move. We let our doctor know and she seemed concerned so I’ve been keeping an eye on her movement. Her Dopplers looked good and her vein varix remains stable, which is also great!

We had a NICU consult on Monday (5/22) to better understand what the post-birth plan will be now that we are in the later stages of pregnancy, compared to how we were counseled initially at the 23 and 27 week mark. It’s relieving to hear that intubation will be unlikely and is considered worst case scenario versus “you should be prepared for this”. It’s most likely if she needed breathing support that we would be looking at CPAP or a cannula. We are very hopeful we will not need a NICU stay for breathing, however we have been advised we may still have a NICU stay for blood sugars, temperature control, or low birth weight – which compared to what we were expecting previously, we are both okay with this being why she needs additional care.

This week:

This week’s appointment on 5/24 was pretty uneventful and Chandler scored another 8/8 on her biophysical profile. This week was not a growth scan week so we didn’t find out how much she has grown, however her Doppler looked good and her vein varix was once again stable. When we met with our doctor this week she advised us she would like to go to twice a week monitoring starting immediately due to her heightened concern of stillbirth. This of course is really scary for us both and one of our biggest concerns at this point, so moving forward until delivery we will continue Wednesday appointments for ultrasound and will start to incorporate Friday appointments for NSTs (non-stress tests), with our first NST being today 5/26. Last night we almost needed to go in to L&D because Chandler hadn’t moved for several hours, and I was finally able to confirm movement which was a relief.

As of now our induction is still scheduled for 6/21, but we are going to speak with the doctor next week to find out if there is any way that can be moved sooner because it is extremely stressful and anxiety inducing to be constantly worried about whether or not our baby is okay and how she is doing.

That is all the updates we have for now – I will write again next week after our appointment on Wednesday. Thanks for everyone’s constant support – it means a lot to us!